Philip Morris International’s youth-appealing ‘Curiosity’ IQOS advertising campaign

Background Philip Morris International’s (PMI) heated tobacco brand IQOS has long been advertised as a fashionable lifestyle product and as a supposedly safer alternative to cigarettes. PMI’s new campaign for IQOS, focused on ‘Curiosity’, was launched in 2024 and is ongoing in 2026. Methods The IQOS Curiosity advertising campaign sources included 20 company-controlled, country-specific Instagram accounts, 2 Facebook accounts and 10 ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) accounts and videos from YouTube (14), Vimeo (7), and TikTok (4). Results The principal brand descriptors were all variations on the central theme of curiosity: Stay Curious, Forever Curious, Curious? and Curious X. Key advertising words included: Discover, innovation, explorations, creativity, inspires and trailblazing. Key campaign slogans included: New experience, new possibilities, open your mind, next adventure, unexpected adventures, your passion, drives confidence and let life surprise you. Social media advertising was supplemented by sponsored events, partnerships with popular media such as Rolling Stone and Vogue , and use of influencers. The campaign consistently portrays IQOS as a highly desirable, novel experience that stimulates adventure seeking, enhances self-confidence, promotes romantic success and helps users unwind. These messages are disseminated primarily through social media platforms that are heavily frequented by youth. Conclusions Marketers know that curiosity is at its peak during youth. The IQOS Curiosity campaign appears designed to appeal to impulsive and sensation-seeking youth who are drawn to novel experiences. In its new ‘Curiosity’ campaign PMI has transitioned its IQOS advertising strategy from one focused on recruiting adults who smoke to differentially targeting youth and young adults.